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RTA Local Planning 2021 Implementation Report
A summary of project awards and recent activities related to the RTA's Community Planning and Access to Transit programs
Local Planning
Transit-Oriented Development Near the Orland Park Metra Station
The RTA’s Community Planning and Access to Transit programs provide funding and technical assistance for local governments across northeastern Illinois to create and implement plans that support transit ridership, meet community economic development needs, expand job and housing accessibility, and improve the overall transit experience. These programs help achieve the goals laid out in Invest in Transit , the current regional transit strategic plan for northeastern Illinois. The plan envisions public transportation at the center of the region’s vast mobility network that supports a thriving, resilient region with a system that provides attractive, cost-effective travel options and helps reduce congestion.
Through the RTA’s Community Planning program, the agency has collaborated on 219 projects, helping to ensure that local land use decisions focus on maximizing the benefits of transit. These projects represent over $22 million in total investment from RTA, federal, and local funding sources. And the Access to Transit program has leveraged $2.7 million in RTA funding to secure $12.3 million in federal funding for 38 small-scale pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure projects in communities across the region, including sidewalks, crosswalks, bike racks, and pedestrian crossing signals. This report offers a summary of project awards and recent activities related to both programs.
Community Planning
The RTA established the Community Planning program in 1998 to encourage transit-oriented development (TOD) and improve transit access in communities throughout the region. The program aims to leverage our region’ train lines, bus routes, and other extensive transit assets to enhance local economies, equity, and quality of life for residents and businesses. Examples of eligible projects include TOD plans, transit corridor studies, and plans to improve mobility and assess curb usage in transit-served neighborhoods.
To assist local governments with the often challenging step of taking a plan from vision to reality, the Community Planning Program also supports implementation initiatives, including organizing and hosting developer discussions, writing zoning code updates, and developing special funding districts in transit areas.
Equity in the Community Planning Program
When evaluating applications for Community Planning project awards, RTA strives to distribute technical assistance and funding resources equitably among municipalities seeking assistance. To that end, RTA consults the Community Cohorts created by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) each fiscal year.
These Community Cohorts arrange municipalities in the region into four groups according to the median income, population, and tax base per capita in each municipality: low need (Cohort 1), moderate need (Cohort 2), high need (Cohort 3), and very high need (Cohort 4). As the name would suggest, low need communities have the highest median incomes and most robust tax bases of communities in the region while very high need communities have lower median incomes and more constrained tax resources by comparison. To ensure that RTA resources are being directed towards communities that are in greatest need of funding and technical assistance, RTA puts emphasis on awarding assistance to high need and very high need communities, as well as on awarding projects from communities within an economically disconnected and disinvested area.
In addition to focusing on equity in terms of communities that are awarded assistance, RTA also aims to achieve equity with regards to the level of financial commitment RTA seeks from project awardees. Again relying on CMAP Community Cohort analysis, RTA requires a 20%, 15%, 10%, and 5% local match from Cohort 1 (low need), Cohort 2 (moderate need), Cohort 3 (high need) and Cohort 4 (very high need) communities, respectively. In this way, RTA is able to reduce the financial burden on high and very high need communities while also offering assistance to lower need communities that is aligned with their ability to contribute more funds towards the project.
2022 Community Planning Call for Projects
Each year, in cooperation with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s (CMAP) Local Technical Assistance program , the Community Planning program solicits proposals for projects that are reviewed by staff and approved by the RTA. Through the 2022 solicitation, seven projects were selected for the Community Planning program, depicted in the map below. Click on each of the points to learn more about the selected projects.
2022 Community Planning Project Awards
Access to Transit
The Access to Transit Program was created in 2014 to leverage RTA and local funds with federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) grant funding to help construct small capital projects that improve accessibility for transit riders across the region. The Access to Transit Program can assist communities in implementing recommendations from studies completed through the Community Planning program or CMAP's Local Technical Assistance program. Through its bi-annual solicitation of proposals, Access to Transit prioritizes projects that fill gaps between transit riders and transit facilities, creating safer and more efficient connections while also improving the rider experience.
The map below details the location of six projects that were completed in 2021. Click on each of the points to learn more about these recently completed projects. For more information about these and other Access to Transit projects, visit the Planning Projects section of rtams.org
Access to Transit Projects Completed in 2021
Community Implementation Highlights
After a project is completed through the Community Planning program, RTA monitors new development to remain apprised of local efforts to implement recommendations from these projects. The map below displays some of the steps taken by local governments throughout the region to advance recommendations from Community Planning projects. Click on an individual project or continue scrolling down to learn more about each project.
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1
Crystal Lake
A Chicago area developer broke ground on the 95-unit Crystal Lake & Main multi-family development. Located at 95 E. Crystal Lake Avenue, less than ¼ mile from the Crystal Lake Metra station, the development will include 48 apartment units and 51 townhomes. The project is located at a redevelopment site identified in the 2021 Crystal Lake and Pingree Road Station Area Action Plan and delivers on one of the plan’s recommendations to promote residential redevelopment within downtown Crystal Lake and to develop multi-family housing complexes.
2
Mount Prospect
A Chicago area developer broke ground on the 88-unit HQ Residences multi-family development, located at 112 East Northwest Highway. The development, which is adjacent to the Mount Prospect Metra station, is an adaptive reuse of the former Mount Prospect Police/Fire building.
In addition, the Village approved plans in 2021 for a $26 million redevelopment of Prospect Place, located at the intersection of W Prospect Avenue, W Evergreen Avenue, and S Willie Street. This project, called 1 W Prospect , will include construction of a five-story, 80-unit building with ground floor retail. These developments further the Village's efforts to attract mixed-use developments to the downtown area, one of the goals of the Village's 2013 Downtown Implementation Plan
3
Oak Forest
Construction recently began on a mixed-use multi-family development in Oak Forest near the Oak Forest Metra station and adjacent to Pace route 383. Located at the intersection of Cicero Avenue and 157th Street, the new development will have 75 apartment units and 15 townhomes. The development parcel was City owned and was identified as a redevelopment opportunity during the Oak Forest Developer Panel in 2013.
4
Elmwood Park
The Village of Elmwood Park purchased a vacant 17,500 square foot lot at 7505 W. Grand Avenue, directly adjacent to the Elmwood Park Metra station. The Village purchased the lot for $375,000 and is seeking redevelopment proposals; Village staff have identified senior housing as a significant need. The Village’s purchase of the lot aligns with recommendations from the Elmwood Park Station Area Plan, which called for the Village to take a more active role in redevelopment at key sites, including the area along Grand Avenue adjacent to the Metra station.
5
Villa Park
The Village of Villa Park approved a seven-story, 348 unit mixed-use development adjacent to the Villa Park Metra station. Located on the block bounded by E Vermont St (North), N Beverly Ave (East), W Terrace St (South), and N Ardmore Ave (West), the development will include 10 studio apartments, 273 one-bedroom apartments, and 65 two-bedroom apartments, with 9,000 square feet on the ground floor for a restaurant. This development implements recommendations from the Village’s 2005 Villa Park Station Area Plan, which called for mixed-use redevelopment of the subject parcel.
6
Chicago South Loop
In 2021, construction began on the Southbridge development, an 877-unit mixed use, mixed-income multifamily development comprised of multiple buildings that includes 65,000 square feet of retail space. Located on 11 acres between W 23rd Street, State Street, 24th Place, and Dearborn Street at the site of the former Harold Ickes Homes, the multi-phase development will include market rate and affordable units and will also reserve units for Chicago Housing Authority households. This development delivers on recommendations from the 2007 Transit-Friendly Development Guide, which identified strategies for building high-density, mixed-use communities near the Cermak Green Line station.
7
Calumet Park
In June 2021, the Village of Calumet Park hosted a half-day Developer Discussion Panel during which development experts were asked to provide recommendations for how to best develop a key site called the “Triangle Site” adjacent to the Ashland Avenue Metra station in the village. The panel recommended that the Village hire an independent Development Consultant to provide insight and assistance in negotiating redevelopment agreements with potential developers of the site. Panelists also recommended that the Village issue a Request for Proposals to advertise the redevelopment opportunity and encourage developers to purchase the site for redevelopment.
8
Brookfield
In December 2021, the Village of Brookfield hosted a half-day Developer Discussion Panel during which development experts were asked to provide recommendations for how to best develop a series of parcels adjacent to the Congress Park Metra station in the village. Village staff were seeking confirmation that the scale and type of development desired at that location would be a viable and worthwhile investment for developers. Although the panelists recommended that the Village pursue redevelopment at alternative sites as a prerequisite to developing the subject site, the panel nonetheless provided valuable advice to Village staff.
About Transit-Oriented Development
A key focus of both the Community Planning and Access to Transit programs is supporting transit-oriented development (TOD), which refers to walkable, mixed-use communities that are located near transit. To provide increased accessibility and mobility options for residents and visitors, successful TOD integrates housing, commercial/retail, and employment in developments located approximately ¼ to ½ mile away from train stations or bus stops. Ideally, TOD improves housing affordability near a station area for residents of all income levels while limiting displacement of current residents. Some common elements of TOD include:
Mixed Use
Mixed use zoning allows for a variety of residential, commercial, office, institutional, or other land uses to be located in a single parcel. By mixing residential uses with employment and entertainment uses, “mixed-use development” encourages community members to walk, bicycle, or ride transit to their destinations, thereby reducing the need to drive within their community. This combination of uses near train stations and bus routes also enables residents to use transit to access jobs, housing, and recreation.
Walkability
Walkability is a measure of how conducive an area is to walking and how well pedestrians are accommodated, especially those using a wheelchair or other mobility assist devices. Factors influencing walkability include the condition and presence of sidewalks and crosswalks, street design, and building accessibility. In a highly walkable area, a pedestrian should feel that they are always safe and welcome.
Transit
The presence of high-quality and convenient transit service is critical to thriving and equitable places. While rail stations, bus stations, or transit corridors are the focal points of TOD, bikeshare or additional mobility options also play a key role in extending public transportation access to neighborhoods that are not immediately adjacent to transit stops.
Density
Land uses that increase the density of destinations in a given area are key to bringing a critical mass of residents and workers to a TOD, thereby creating vibrant places and impactful transit services that support the entire community. There is no ideal density, as each community should determine what suits it best.
Equity
The City of Chicago defines Equitable TOD (eTOD) as "development that enables all people regardless of income, race, ethnicity, age, gender, immigration status or ability to experience the benefits of dense, mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented development near transit hubs."
Continuing Our Work
As documented in this report, planning and implementation efforts through the RTA’s technical assistance and funding programs have resulted in the addition of walkable, mixed-use transit-oriented developments and improved transit accessibility across the region. With this assistance from the Community Planning and Access to Transit programs, communities have leveraged their local transit services and infrastructure by locating housing, jobs, and retail in close proximity to train stations and bus routes. Doing so has improved transit effectiveness in the region through access improvements; provided a variety of mobility options for residents; contributed to more affordable and sustainable communities; and provided a variety of residential and commercial options for communities. It is important for the RTA to consistently consider new and innovative planning approaches, topics, and projects so our local planning programs can evolve to address current and relevant planning topics, thereby helping to ensure that municipal planning and implementation efforts will maximize local benefits of the transit system. Moving forward, the RTA will continue to assist communities throughout the region to tackle immediate and emerging planning issues related to transit. Through the Community Planning program, staff will continue to pursue traditional TOD and corridor studies with municipalities, in addition to focusing on implementation efforts in communities that have completed initial planning studies. This assistance will help ensure that zoning code updates, developer discussion panels, and innovative financing studies will continue. These activities will also be supported by new efforts to ensure that all residents benefit from TOD (“eTOD”), by developing strategies to manage curb space to address issues resulting from bicycles, scooters, delivery vehicles, and transit vehicles competing for the same space, and by pondering new strategies for continued economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and new mobility schemes that may emerge as a result. To address the important issue of equity in TOD, RTA staff will use an equity “lens” when evaluating each TOD project scope’s approach to housing and transportation affordability and to anti-displacement strategies. Additional efforts will include continued participation in regional planning efforts to address equity, affordability, and inclusionary zoning to help inform current and future planning efforts so that all residents in the region can benefit from TOD.
Transit access and mobility improvements will continue as existing Access to Transit program projects complete construction of new sidewalks, crosswalks, covered bike racks, and other small-scale access enhancements throughout the region. Additional funding resources, including Phase I engineering funding, will continue to be provided to the high need communities that need it the most through awards for the 2022 Access to Transit Call for Projects.
Considering the strategic plan’s principle of “Committed to Change,” the Community Planning and Access to Transit programs will evolve as necessary to support the initiatives outlined in the forthcoming strategic plan. Transportation in the region is constantly changing in response to new transit services, new technologies, infrastructure investments in walking and bicycling, changes in land use, and large-scale disruptive events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure that transit and transportation networks continue to serve residents, RTA must remain open to change and must embrace new ways of meeting the transportation needs of the region and the communities that comprise it.
The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA)
The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) is the unit of local government charged with financial oversight, funding, and regional transit planning for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra, and Pace bus and Pace’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Paratransit Service. The RTA system serves two million riders each weekday with 145 CTA rail stations, 240 Metra commuter rail stations, 350 bus routes, with a combined 7,200 transit route miles throughout Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties of northeastern Illinois.
Resources
For more information on the RTA's Community Planning and Access to Transit programs, visit www.rtachicago.org or any of the following webpages:
In addition, the following resources can be found on the RTA website: